Door latch device



P 1959 P. J. BENNETT ETAL 2,904,367

DOOR LATCH DEVICE Filed April 23, 1957 3' Fig./

Patric/r Jahn Bennett Leonard Charo/0n John 7? Aruno'el, INVENTORS Unite States Pate DOOR LATCH DEVICE Patrick John Bennett and Leonard Chatoian, Sacramento, and John T. Arundel, West Sacramento, Calif.

Application April 23, 1957, Serial No. 654,589

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-34115) Our invention relates to improvements in door latch devices for swinging doors, especially of dwellings.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a latch device for attachment to a door frame and coaction with a fixed latch bolt on a door to latch a swinging door closed from the inside so that neither the latch device, nor the latch bolt can be operated from the outside of the door by a prying instrument, or otherwise, to unlatch the door.

Another object is to provide a latch device as in the above which is simple in construction, easy to attach, absolutely burglar proof, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the ac companying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a door frame and door viewed from the inside thereof with our door latch device attached and coacting with the latch bolt to latch the door closed;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view in horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the latch device attached;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the latch device in latching position; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the latch device in unlatching position.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, according to our invention a combined striker and keeper member 1 is provided in the inner side of the door frame 3 for hori zontal sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly into and out of the path of movement of a projected latch bolt 5 on a swinging door 7.

The member 1 is of rectangular form and concaveconvex cross-section and is slidably mounted in vertical position to present a convex face 6 to the latch bolt 5, whereby said latch bolt, when the door 7 swings closed, earns the member 1 into a retracted position out of the gath1 of said bolt 5 and then swings behind said memer A mounting 8 for the member 1 is provided comprismg a rectangular attaching plate 9 having screw holes 11 therein adjacent its ends by means of which and screws 13 said attaching plate 9 is attached to the side of the door frame 15 into which the free side edge 17 of the door 7, carrying the latch bolt 5, swings when closed.

The attaching plate 9 is provided with a central notch 19 registering with the usual recess 21 in the door frame 9 for receiving a latch bolt. The notch 19 opens onto a front edge 24 of the plate 9. A pair of upper and lower vertical box guides 23, 25 for the member 1 extend in vertically spaced relation from the front edge 24 of Patented Sept. 15, 1959 said plate 9 at right angles to said plate and at opposite sides of the notch 19 and open toward each other.

The member 1 has a vertical front edge 27 overlapping the guides 23, 25 and provided with a vertical reduced barrel 29 in which a pin 31 is fixed in vertical position and is slidably and rotatably extended into said guides 23, 25. Thus, the front edge portion 27 and the pin 31 straddle one side of the guides 23, 25 to prevent said member 1 from turning on said guides 23, 25.

A pair of upper and lower compression springs 33, 35 load the member 1 for advance into a latching position. The springs 33, 35 are interposed horizontally between studs, as at 37, 39, on said member 1 and on a vertical edge flange 41 extending at a right angle from said guides 23, 25.

A pair of upper and lower stop ears 43, 45 extend laterally, horizontally from said guides 23, 25 across the ends of the member 1 and are provided with arcuate edge flanges 47, 49 overlying the ends of said member 1 and which limit advance of said member 1 to establish its advanced or locking position.

The door frame 3 and the frame studding 51 are horizontally recessed, as at 53, 55, to receive the member 1 and its mounting 8 and so that said member 1 slides in set back position in said frame 3.

The latch bolt 5 may be of any conventional type adapted to be held projected by the usual night catch, not shown, but is preferably permanently fixed in projecting position and provided with a blunt leading end 57 for engaging the member 1.

The operation of our invention will be readily understood. When the door 7 is swung closed, the latch bolt 5 strikes the face 6 of the member 1, as shown in Figure 2, and wipes past the same, thereby camming said member 1 from its advanced position shown in the drawings into a retracted position in opposition to the springs 33, 35. As soon as the latch bolt 5 wipes past the member 1, it swings into the notch 19 and said member 1 is snapped by the springs 33, 35 in front of said latch bolt 5 and notch 19 into advanced latching position and thereby latches the door 7 closed. To unlatch the door 7, the member 1 is retracted manually, which can be done only from the inside of the door, and if a permanently projected latch bolt 5 is utilized. If the latch bolt 5 is conventional, the night catch can be released and the bolt retracted by the door knob 59 in the usual manner to unlatch the door.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A door latch for coaction with a projected latch bolt on a swinging door to latch the door closed in a frame, comprising a mounting plate for attachment to the frame, a pair of box guides mounted perpendicularly to said plate, a pair of stop ears projecting from said box guides and disposed perpendicular to the latter and to said plate, said ears having edges which are curved outwardly and downwardly from a point adjacent said plate, arcuate edge flanges projecting toward each other from said curved edges, a pin slidably engaged in said box guides, a curved keeper member disposed between said ears and p1votally connected to said pin and normally having the front surface thereof contacting said flanges, resilient means fixed to said keeper member and urging the same mto engagement with said flanges and applying a force thereto urging said keeper member pivotally to a posi- 3 7 tion whereby it constantly contacts the lower edges of 1,867,694 said flanges providing a plurality of guiding surfaces for 2,190,518 said keeper member. 2,790,66

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 527,134 718,002 Keller Jan. 6, 1903.

Cramer July 19, 1932 Joyce Feb. 13, 1940 Friedman et al. Apr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany June 13, 1931 

